Electric lamp holder and other electric fittings



HJKLOPFER 2,110,508

ELECTRIC LAMP HOLDER AND OTHER ELECTRIC FITTINGS March 8, 1938.

Filed March 27, 1936 Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELEGTRIC LAMP HOLDER AND OTHE -ELECTRIG FITTINGS Hans Klopfer, Brussels, Belgium, assignor to Ernst Adolf Haas, London, England Application March 27, 1936, Serial No. 71,283 In Great Britain April 15, 1935 Claims.

5 of this system of connecting the socket to the current leads that the insertion of the wire ends in the bushes and the fastening of the screws is a relatively cumbersome operation which requires considerable patience and a certain amount of manual skill. The screws very often fall down when being mounted, and in the case of repeated use the screw-threading frequently becomes worn so that a faulty contact results.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lamp socket wherein the connection of thetermina-ls tothe wires can be established readily and without the use of small set screws, and which at the same time comprises the smallest possible number' of self-contained parts. 7

The present invention is applicable, in addition to lamp sockets, to any other electric fittings in which a connection has to be established to two wires. All these fittings will be hereinafter '25 referred to as lamp sockets.

According to the present invention, a lamp socket comprises a body of insulating material formed of two parts pivotally connected together, one of said parts having means for holding the 30 ends of the wires in predetermined positions,

and the other of said parts constituting a turnable member carrying the two terminal members of the socket, said turnable member being in one of its angular positions adapted to bear under 35 pressure against said wire ends and to establish in this position connections between said wire ends and said terminal members.

The insulated body may, for instance, be provided with two bores or channels for guiding 40 the wires, the bare ends of which are positioned uponthe end face of the insulated body. This end face may have a circular flange with two oppositely arrangedrecesses into which the turnable member when turned into operative posi- 45 tion may bepressedby a spring. This spring will preferably be arranged concentrically around a stationary pivot pin about which the turnable member rotates, andmay be positioned either inside the body of insulating material or outside 50 the same. 1

Further means may be provided to secure the turnable memberin its operative position. Such means may comprise a, screw-threaded cap in which-the insulating body is lodged, and as'leeve 55 memberwhichiisat one end provided with. screw threading so as to fit in the said cap and to bear against the turnable member, whilst the other end of the sleeve is formed with the standard bayonet slots for holding the lamp in position.

011' the other hand, the insulated body itself may 5 have external screw threading, the sleeve for receiving the lampfoot being pressed against the insulating body by a cap which is screwed upon the latter.

The contact pieces provided on the turnable 10 member for establishing the connection between the terminals and the wire ends may be so formed that the axial pressure upon. the turnable member results, at least partially, in a radial contact pressure betweenthe said contact pieces and the 15 wire ends.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing in which:-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the assembled socket, 520

Figure 2 is a section through the interior parts of the socket on the line II--II of Figure 1'.

Figure 3. shows the lower end elevation of the socket,

Figures' l and 5' are bottom views of the interior parts of the: socket, Figure 4 showing the operative, and Figure 5 the inoperative relative positions of the parts.

Figure 6 is a view in sectional elevation of an alternative construction for use with lamps of the screw-capped type, and

Figure '7 is a view of certain elements of the said construction adjusted into the position for engaging the conductors, and

Figure 8 is a corresponding plan view thereof, with the wire removed.

Referring now to the drawing, the two flex wires I, 2- are introduced, after being passed through the axial hole 3 of a screw cap 4, into two boresli, Bof'a body 1 of insulating material. The 40 bores 5, 6 are-widened out at their ends adjacent to the lower end face of the body 1 A bar 8 of insulating material is turnably arranged upon a pivot pin 9 anchored inthe body I A helical spring I-ll surrounding said pin bears against the bar B and tends to-press it against the lower end faceof the body: 7. The bar 8 carries the two terminal spring pins II, l2 which are of the usual construction and have not therefore been illustrated in detail. These terminals H, I2 are conductively connected, for instance by the metal members l3, M respectively, to contact pieces l5, it which are adapted toregister with the widened end portions of the bores 5, 6 and to press the bare wire ends against the outer walls thereof, under the influence of the spring 10.

The body 1 is provided at its lower end face with two flange segments H, the space or recess between the segments I! being so wide that the bar 8, when in its operative angular position, can be pressed by the spring between the flange segments (Figures 1, 2, 4). In order to move the bar 8 into inoperative position, it must be lifted axially out of the space between the segments against the action of spring l0, and can then be turned into the position illustrated in Figure 5, in which it rests against the lower end faces of the segments 11.

The insulated body I rests with a collar l8 against a corresponding shoulder I9 of the screw cap 4. A sleeve 20, which is provided with the usual bayonet slots 2| at its lower end, is screwed, by means of external threading 22, into the screw cap 4. It has a top plate 23 integral therewith, a slot 24 being provided for the passage of the spring terminals ll, l2 and of the pivot pin 9 with spring l0. It will be seen that if the sleeve 20 is screwed tight by the rotation of cap 4, its top plate 23 will press against the bar 8 and will secure it in position between the flange segments [1. At the same time, the plate 23, owing to the shape of the slot 24, will ensure that the terminals I I, l2 shall always have the correct angular position relative to the bayonet slots 2| and thus to the contacts of the lamp. Also, the axial pressure of the plate 23 upon the bar 8 will establish, or assist, a good and reliable contact between the wires and the contact pieces and will, at the same time, prevent the wires from being accidentally withdrawn.

A screw-threaded ring 25 is provided for securing lamp shades or the like on the socket. When screwed tight, this ring may act as a lock-nut and prevent the screw cap 4 from being accidentally loosened.

The contact pieces l5, l6 have been illustrated as spherical heads. They may, however, of course have any other suitable shape. For instance, they may be wedge-shaped and may co-operate with a correspondingly inclined surface against which the wires bear. Alternatively, it may be found advisable in some cases to give the contact pieces l5, 16 such an inclination that the contact pressure resulting from the action of the spring will be, at least partly, directed circumferentially.

It will be seen that the socket according to the invention consists, apart from the ring 25 which is not absolutely necessary, only of three selfcontained units, viz., the insulating body I with the turnable parts attached thereto, the screw cap 4, and the sleeve member 20.

The arrangement of the screw-connection may, of course, be reversed by providing the insulated body I with external screw-threading and by securing the sleeve 20 (which would then have a plain collar instead of the screw-thread) with the aid of a screw ring having a lower flange engaging the collar of the sleeve 20.

Instead of providing two flange segments H for holding the bar 8 in its operative position, as shown, any other means, such as projections and recesses, may be used for this purpose. The turnable member 8 may be in the form. of a disc or in any other shape. Moreover, the spring I0 could be lodged in a recess of the body I and would then have to co-operate with an axially displaceable pivot pin 9.

Referring to Figures 6, 7 and 8, 26 is a screwthr-eaded sleeve formed of insulating material, 21

is a spring terminal strip constituting one of the contacts, 28 is a centre spring terminal contact, the contacts being connected by the screws 29 and 30 respectively with contact plates 3| and 32.

With the member in question there is connected by the bolt 33 and spring 34 the member 35, the upper end of which is provided with serrated portions 36 terminating in groove 31 down which the wires 38, 39 are led, the bare ends 40, 4| thereof being threaded through the holes 42, 43 when the member 35 is in the position illustrated in Figure '7, that is to say, when the spring 34 is compressed, the member being maintained in this position by the lugs 44 during this operation.

The bared ends of the wires having been taken through the holes, the member 35 is rotated out of contact with the lugs and is caused to descend by the action of the spring thereby pressing the bared ends of the wires against the contact plates 3| and 32 in which position it will be retained by screwing the cap 45 on to the screw-threaded sleeve 36, which operation will cause the wires to be gripped between the inner surface of the cap and the adjacent surfaces of the member 35 and the serrated portions 36 of the member functioning to assist in the engagement of the wires. The screwing down of the cap further forces the member downward so that the bared ends of the wires are forced firmly against the contact plates above referred to.

By an obvious adaptation the invention could also be applied to lamp sockets comprising switches.

I claim:

1. An electric fitting comprising a member furnished with contact elements, a clamping member provided with orifices for the reception of the bared ends of conductors, a pivotal connection between the member furnished with contact elements and the clamping member whereby rotational movement of the clamping member relative to the member furnished with contact elements may be effected for bringing the said bared ends of the conductors into a position in which they may be engaged with the contact elements, and means resiliently urging the clamping member towards the member furnished with contact elements whereby upon the clamping member being moved in opposition to the said means away from the member furnished with contact elements the bared ends of the conductors may be caused to extend freely beyond the orifices, and upon release of the clamping member the same will be forced by the said means into a position in which it will hold the bared ends of the conductors against the said contact elements.

.2. An electric fitting comprising a member furnished with contact elements, a clamping member provided with orifices for the reception of the bared ends of conductors, a pivotal connection between the member furnished with contact elements and the clamping member whereby rotational movement of the clamping member relative to the member furnished with contact elements may be effected for bringing the said bared ends of the conductors into a position in which they may be engaged with the contact elements, means resiliently urging the clamping member towards the member furnished with contact elements whereby upon the clamping member being moved in opposition to the said means away from the member furnished with contact elements the bared ends of the conductors may be caused to extend freely beyond the orifices, and upon release of the clamping member after it has been so moved the same will be forced by the said means into a position in which it will hold the bared ends of the conductors against the said contact elements, and on one of the members projections operating to prevent the bared ends of the conductors being carried. beyond the faces of the contact elements.

3. An electric fitting comprising a member furnished with contact elements, a clamping member provided with orifices for the reception of the bared ends of conductors, a pivotal connection between the member furnished with contact elements and the clamping member whereby rotational movement of the clamping member relative to the member furnished with contact elements may be eifected for bringing the bared ends of the conductors into a position in which they may be engaged with the contact elements, means resiliently urging the clamping member towards the member furnished with contact elements whereby upon the clamping member being moved in opposition to the said means awayfrom the member furnished with contact elements the bared ends of the conductors may be caused to extend freely beyond the orifices, and upon release of the clamping member after it has been so moved the same will be forced by the said means into a position in which it will hold the bared ends of the conductors against the said contact elements, a cap co-operating with one of the said members, a. sleeve co-operating with the other of the said members, and a connection between the cap and the sleeve whereby the two members are secured in the position in which the bared ends of the conductors are held against the contact members.

4. An electric fitting comprising a member furnished with contact elements, a clamping member provided with orifices for the reception of the bared ends of conductors, a pivot pin engaging both the member furnished with contact elements and the clamping member whereby rotational movement of the clamping member relative to the member furnished with contact elements may be effected for bringing the said bared ends of the conductors into a position in which they may be engaged with the contact elements, and a spring arranged about the pivot pin which spring resiliently urges the clamping member towards the member furnished with contact elements whereby upon the clamping member being moved in opposition to the said spring away from the member furnished with contact elements the bared ends of the conductors may be caused to extend freely beyond the orifices, and upon release of the clamping member the same will be forced by the spring into a position in which it will hold the bared ends of the conductors against the said contact elements.

5. An electric fitting comprising a member furnished with contact elements, a clamping member provided with orifices for the reception of the bared ends of conductors, a pivot pin engaging both the member furnished with contact elements and the clamping member whereby rotational movement of the clamping member relative to the member furnished with contact elements may be effected for bringing the said bared ends of the conductors into a position in which they may be engaged with the contact elements, and a spring arranged about the said pivot pin and engaging between one end of the pin and one of the said members the said spring resiliently urging the clamping member towards the member furnished with contact elements whereby upon the clamping member being moved in opposition to the said spring away from the member furnished with contact elements the bared ends of the conductors may be caused to extend freely beyond the orifices, and upon release of the clamping member the same will be forced by the said spring into a position in which it will hold the bared ends of the conductors against the said contact elements.

HANS KLOPFER. 

